Amethyst Tassels
by skolojaco.026
Summary: Before Amaterasu left to battle Yami upon the Ark, she traveled around Nippon one last time. Both a goodbye and a means to remind herself on what she was fighting to preserve, the Goddess left a special gift to a certain few. There is no doubt that purple is truly Oki's color.


For the first time many years, Oki felt like his house was too big, too empty.

Leaving Issun by the fire, Oki retreated to the corner that held his bed. He was exhausted, the strain of what had happened in recent months combined with the relief of knowing that it was all finally over was enough to make anyone wish to sleep for a 100 years.

But sleep was good for another thing...it could make one forget the sorrows of the waking world, usually. The sight of the ark departing had been hard, even if he had been the one to tell her what she must do, what she probably was meant to do all along.

That didn't make it any easier to tell her goodbye, to watch as the rainbow bridge vanished. As Issun was unable to enter the ark due to a barrier. It hurt to see her head poke out one last time before the door closed...and then she was gone.

Only until the sun began to shine once more. The Day of Darkness was over and Amaterasu had won. The Oina had been celebrating the eruption of the twin peaks, but now they had even more reason for a festive mood. Nippon was safe, they were safe, and all the sacrifices and lives lost were not in vain.

Yet there was one heart who was aching, one wolf who wept at the loss of a being who had been so much in so little time.

Shaking his head and removing the mask that covered his face, Oki took a moment to look at the picture which Issun had given him. It was a picture of the goddess herself, looking grand and beautiful even if she was not in the heat of battle.

Once more he felt the tears prick and turned his head away.

Huh?

On the pillow of orange silk, there was something out of place. The warrior knelt down beside his bed, reaching out to pick the item up. Turning just slightly so he could get some light from the fire, Oki studied what he held in his hands.

It was a tassel inlaid with purple stones that were polished and smooth. One look told the man that it was worth a lot, more than any person in the village could ever afford. Ruby red eyes slid to look at Issun who was seated beside the fire, silenced for once. Surely a Poncle would not have that much wealth either...heck their outfits and helmets were all of natural materials according to Kemu.

"Hey, whatcha got?" speak of the devil and there he was, bouncing up and down beside Oki's foot. Tilting it enough so that the artist could make out the full details, Oki was surprised by the expression that crossed that tiny face.

"Hey...I remember that, Ammy found it in a chest just at the end of the river outside Wep'keer. Pretty nice, huh?"

"Yeah...but what is it doing here?" Oki mused as he sat down by the fire, Issun hopping up to balance on one knee. "Knowing Furball, she may have dropped it and forgot it." Issun replied. "On the other hand...maybe she left it as a present. She took me around Nippon before she left." The Poncle fell silent.

"Guess this was her gift to you, but kind of an interesting choice." Even if his mask hide his face, Oki was lifting a brow. Sensing it, Issun replied. "Well amethyst is kind of that special stone for love and stuff like that, or so I've heard."

Love? Looking down at his 'gift' Oki found himself comparing the gems to the eyes of the goddess herself. Amaterasu could look like a plain white wolf to those who didn't believe or if she used up the ink that let her fight with the skills of the Brush Gods. But the one main difference that most people didn't seem to note was her eyes.

Instead of normal wolf-amber, her eyes were dark. Oki had thought that they were solid black like coal, but they were actually a dark shade of violet. Beautiful, mysterious, wise, and had that loving touch that had been in his mother's eyes when he had been a small child.

Shaking his head to keep more tears from escaping, the warrior looked at Issun. "Why would she do such a thing?" Oki asked. "I am the defender of Kamui, but I am no rich man. None of us can claim to be wealthy as those who reside on the mainland."

Issun shrugged. "Furball tends to do things on her own accord, heck her main style must have been 'leap before you think'. Kind of am still wondering how we are both still alive after some of the things she did."

Silence filled the house as man and Poncle sat, but soon Oki was aware that Issun had fallen asleep. The little fellow had it easy, he only had to bury himself in Amaterasu's fur and he would be safe, but present regardless of where she went. Seeing her leave, without him must have been hard. Now the Celestial Envoy was going to need to find a new path in life. One that did not involve riding on the back of a white wolf or attempting to flirt with any woman he met.

As for himself...well the Oina warrior supposed that life would return to normal.

If only he could convince himself that it would be that easy. He would have to do his share of work, from herding sheep to making repairs. Just looking at Kai's small flock of sheep had made him aware of how dull life was when you were not worrying about what the next day would bring.

But...maybe...it will not be so bad, maybe this Amethyst Tassels was a sign from Amaterasu. She was telling him something important...he felt it in his bones.

Somehow, he felt that the goddess would be returning to Nippon eventually.

And he would be there waiting.


End file.
